In the dark, damp soil of high-altitude Sikkim, where moss carpets the ground and daylight barely penetrates the earth, Indian scientists have uncovered a creature never before recorded in the country.

Researchers from the Zoological Survey of India have discovered a new species of Collembola, or springtail, a tiny soil-dwelling micro-arthropod that plays an outsized role in keeping ecosystems alive.

The species, named Neelus sikkimensis, marks the first time the genus Neelus has been documented in India.

The finding, published on December 1 in the Journal of the Entomological Research Society, strengthens the Eastern Himalayas’ reputation as one of the world’s most important biodiversity hotspots.

With this addition, the global count of species within the genus ‘Neelus’ now stands at eight.

The research was carried out by the Apterygota Section of the ZSI, led by Dr Guru Pada Mandal, with scientist Kusumendra Kumar Suman as part of the team.

Their work focused on soil and moss samples collected from Sikkim’s high-altitude landscapes, environments that often harbour life forms invisible to the naked eye and overlooked in mainstream conservation narratives.

What sets ‘Neelus sikkimensis’ apart is its extreme adaptation to life underground. The species is microscopic in size, lacks eyes and survives in complete darkness within soil and moss layers.

Its most defining feature is a distinctive labral chaetotaxy, the specific arrangement of bristles on its mouthparts, which clearly separates it from its closest relatives found elsewhere in the world.

Collembola may be small, but their ecological importance is anything but. Often called springtails, these organisms are crucial to soil health, aiding in the decomposition of organic matter and facilitating nutrient cycling in the topsoil. In doing so, they sustain plant life and maintain the balance of terrestrial ecosystems.

Congratulating the research team, ZSI Director Dr Dhriti Banerjee underlined this role. She said Collembola were vital for maintaining soil health and described the discovery as a proud moment for Indian science, noting that it places an unrecorded genus within the country’s faunal records.

For Mandal, the discovery goes beyond adding a new name to a scientific catalogue. It reinforces the need for sustained taxonomic research across India’s varied climatic and geographical zones.

“This finding enhances our understanding of Collembola diversity in India and highlights the importance of documenting species that make significant ecological contributions, even if they are rarely seen,” he said.